RAF sends condolences, urges care travelling
THE Road Accident Fund (RAF) has sent its condolences to the families and friends of 12 people who died in a horrific taxi accident in the early hours of Monday morning on the N1 near Touws River.
Western Cape Traffic authorities are still investigating the exact cause of the accident, but it is alleged that the driver lost control of the vehicle while travelling from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape.
RAF Cape Town regional general manager Maria Rambauli said: “This has been a tragic start to the holidays and we once again urgently appeal to all road users to always remember that safety is of paramount importance when travelling.
“The RAF has joined forces with the dedicated men and women of South Africa’s emergency service agencies to urge everyone to please be careful on the roads; we do not want to meet you by accident.
“By collaborating with tow truck drivers, police, medical staff, ambulance and fire personnel who are ready to serve this festive season, the RAF hopes to reinforce the message of road safety in a unique, unified way, to stem the tide of fatal car crashes.”
The RAF’s staff is engaging the families of the deceased to facilitate funeral arrangements, while providing advice about the fund’s other services.
Following the burials, consultations will continue with the bereaved families to originate claims for loss of support for any dependants and qualifying heads of damages for the injured, as stipulated in the RAF Act.
Family members who would like more information regarding the claims process and what they are eligible to claim for are asked to contact the RAF call centre on 0860 23 55 23 between 7.45am and 6pm from Monday to Friday.
Assistance is available in any of the 11 official languages.
While the RAF’s offices will close over the festive season from noon on December 21 and resume operations on January 2, a skeleton staff will be in place to assist with any queries (details of which will be available on the RAF website or in the media). |